Emotions ran high Thursday, as members of the South Shore Drill Team confronted organizers of the famed Bud Billiken Parade at a news conference after the team withdrew from the event for the first time in decades.
"We practiced this whole summer for nothing," one member of the drill team said through tears.
For 35 years, about 170 of the award-winning performers have marched in the parade, but after learning that parade organizers were limiting entries to 100 performers, they made the difficult choice to abandon the long-standing tradition.
"We're a team, we don't split," one parent said at a news conference held Thursday by Chicago Defender Charities, the organization behind the parade. "One move, all move."
"You set the rules, it's your event, and I understand that," said Sara Vlajcic, the South Shore Drill Team's administrative director. "But at the same time, we can only control the group and we're not going to pick and choose which kids can march and which can't."
Chicago Defender Charities said during the news conference that everyone knew the limit because it was clearly stated on the application, and none of the participants asked for an exception.
"Parade participants were asked to limit their groups to 100 people or less," parade spokesperson Kristal Davis said. "The parade has lasted up to six hours in the past."
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"The restrictions are applied to all units," Marc Sengstacke of the Chicago Defender Charities said Tuesday. "The city, the state - they're under financial constraints. Everyone is under financial constraints so the longer the parade, the greater the cost."
But the drill team and another group called Dance Force maintained that they were not told about the limit. Dance Force said they even bought costumes and props months ago, and are now unsure if they will participate.
"For someone to take something so precious away from these kids that's wrong," one parent said. "It's definitely wrong and we need to stand together and fight for this. Someone needs to fight for these kids."
Of the 175 groups in the parade, 95 are community organizations.
